Blackout
by ICCFOWIGSM
Summary: The group decides to play truth or dare, but things take a turn for the worse when Makoto says a dare that starts something disastrous and possibly harmful to everyone in the shop, ESPECIALLY Ichigo. Rated T for mild swearing.
1. Prologue

**Here's another Yumeiro Patissiere story! This may or may not be a few chapters long. If you haven't already, please read my first YumePati fanfic, Pancakes! Enjoy! I own nothing!**

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**Black**out

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Satsuki twirled around, handing roses of many varieties to every girl in sight. From red to candy there wasn't a single type he excluded. He flirted, laughed, and made every girl he spoke to blush, sending a colourful array of empty words and narcissistic smiles to each one.

"Wow, I never thought he would do it." Sennosuke admitted, watching with pure satisfaction showing only in his eyes.

"Really? I knew he would do it with great pleasure." Makoto sighed, turning to Ichigo. "You know, you're supposed to dare people to do something they _regret_ doing or _refuse _to do."

"H-Hey!" Ichigo stammered, offended by the way he spoke. "I know that, but isn't it funny to watch?"

"No. It's sickening." Makoto replied, motioning to Satsuki to return, but he was too engrossed in his dare to notice.

The group of three was basically forced to watch him flirt with every girl in the shop -which was a surprisingly large number- until he reached the final one who chose to go by the name, Lemon. He immediately did his thing, pulling out a rose from the infinite supply. He was taken aback when Lemon rejected him, genuinely unfazed by the act he put on.

He returned to the table shortly after recuperating from the tragic event. He instantly locked his glare onto the boy who was laughing uncontrollably in his seat. "Alright, Kashino. Since you find it so funny, truth or dare?"

Makoto put a halt to his laughter and faced Satsuki like the man he thought he was. He knew no matter what he chose, the outcome would effect him negatively. "Dare."

"Tell Ichigo-chan how you truly feel about her."

Makoto froze up, unable to believe the words Satuski had just uttered. He tried to convince himself that Satsuki hadn't answered yet, giving him another chance. "I said dare." He repeated, teeth clenched together.

"Yes, I know. What I asked of you could work for either option." Satsuki retorted, still frustrated with the previous events. He was determined to win Lemon over later.

The blonde chocolatier reluctantly rotated his head in a dramatic, robotic fashion. He never thought the day he was to confess to Ichigo would reveal itself to unravel in the small pastry shop, Salon de Marie. Of course, it would prove to be a nice story to tell to their future kids, whom of which have already been theorized by many fans of the couple. His mind swirled with complicated thoughts and plans on how the confession would plan out. It was tolerable because Ichigo loved sweets, so the location was decent. He quickly devised a plan that used the shop to his advantage. _Nothing could go wrong._

He was positive he was going to make that moment memorable.

"Oh, Kashino! You don't have to bother! I already know we're great friends!" Ichigo exclaimed, shoving a slice of chocolate cake into her mouth without a single hesitation or drink in case the dessert were to become lodged in her throat in sight.

Makoto stared at the dense girl, shocked beyond belief. He grimaced. "You think we're friends? HA! We're nothing more than classmates."

Her face and attitude gradually grew solemn by his unnecessary response. That asshole.

Silence surrounded the table, awkwardness levels breaking the imaginary scales. Andou spoke up. "Kashino. It's your turn."

He exhaled deeply before choosing the next victim of the twisted fate the simple, yet complex game brought upon anyone who chose to play. "Johnny." _(A/N Bet you didn't know he was there, did ya?)_

The American sat up, unamused by what the group was doing. In his book, they weren't playing it right. "Yeah yeah, dare."

"Go pick up Tennouji-san and run out of the shop."

Johnny stood up abruptly, throwing his chair backwards. "NOW THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" He shouted, a grin plastered to his face.

Many students and staff within the shop faced the blonde boy, who was being quite loud about something. His movements were quick as he locked his eyes onto one of the workers of Salon de Marie. The boy ran over to the guests the Student Body President, Mari was serving and willingly picked her up, bridal-style. "YEAH BABY!"

It took her a few minutes to process what was happening due to shock, but Johnny was already out the door, living the American dream.

"Since Johnny's gone, Kashino should go again." Sennosuke decided, hoping to make Makoto happy enough to choose him. He hadn't been chosen yet.

"Okay, Amano." He spat out, still on slightly bad terms with her since his last dare. "Truth or dare?"

"Why don't any of you ever choose me?" Sennosuke asked, slumping down into his chair.

"Because you always pick truth. _Always._" Satsuki answered, looking at himself in a hand-sized mirror.

"Dare!" She piped, unaware of the possible disaster that awaited her. Nobody knew that the words about to nonchalantly slip out of his lips could cause such calamity. Makoto wasn't even conscious of what catastrophe he was about to create.

"I dare you to kiss me."

He was sure she would refuse. There was no possible way she would obey his foolish wish.

_ It was supposed to be a joke._

The two bystanders looked back and forth at the surprisingly entertaining couple, whom of which were fighting the blush arising to their cheeks. Ichigo could not believe what Makoto had just asked her. She thought it would be something stupid like 'eat one hundred slices of cake'. She would have really enjoyed that.

Makoto had no idea what had come over him to say that. It was completely out of his character to say such a thing, but the words came out like butter and he couldn't stop himself. He avoided keeping eye contact with Ichigo and looked away stubbornly.

He didn't know why, but a small part of him wanted her to do it.

The littlest amount of courage summed itself up within Makoto, causing him to turn his head to Ichigo; the girl sitting across from him. He told himself he would only check for a second to see if she was still there. She was a loud person, so the silence could have meant she left. To his dismay, there she was, sitting firmly on her chair. Her chocolate eyes shone against the sparkly, clear tears that fell gently from the side of her face. Her cheeks were wet with a salty, warm substance that flowed like waterfalls, stinging the corner of her eyes and blurring her vision. Her lips weren't curved into a smile or a frown, making her emotions unclear to the others.

"Are you crying?" Makoto questioned, stating the obvious.

"Great job, Kashino. You made this cute girl cry." Satsuki praised sarcastically, turning to Ichigo who was sitting next to him. He pulled out a candy rose. "Cheer up, Ichigo-chan. Don't worry, Kashino's existence embarrasses us, too."

She rejected the rose and stood up, destroying what was left of Satsuki's self-confidence. She dragged herself over to where Makoto was sitting and stared straight at him. "Why?" She asked in a near whisper.

"What do you mean _why_?" Makoto replied with a question, becoming ever-so-slightly frustrated with her assumptions.

"Why did you dare me to kiss you?" She responded, being more straight-forward.

Makoto was about to retort when he noticed the seriousness in her eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

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**CLIFFHANGER! Please review if you want the next chapter! It's going to get really intense in chapter two.**


	2. A Kiss?

**Thanks for waiting, here's chapter two! Enjoy! **

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Miya slammed her hands against the table, pushing herself up. "JUST STOP!"

Everyone turned to the heiress, who was soaking the table she stared down at with glowing tears which seemed to darken the room with each fragile one that fell. "YOU DON'T NEED TO ANSWER HER. WE ALL KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SAY!"

Makoto stared at her, flabbergasted. "Why is everyone crying?!"

Turning his head to it's original position, Makoto faced Ichigo who feverishly wiped away her tears, suddenly realising that she was crying so much. He had his signature disappointed look on his face. His eyebrows were furrowed with rage emitting from his eyes like a blazing fire, sending shivers down her spine. Ichigo knew what that look meant. It meant she was a fool to ever believe Makoto thought anything of her. She thought maybe- just maybe he had slight feelings for her, but she was stupid to think that. She considered the possibility that his dare meant something more than a silly way to get her flustered for a game, so she nearly accepted the fact.

It was impossible to her that such a thing could be true.

"Uh, everyone, I think it would be best if we stopped playing for now." Sennosuke suggested, partially because he was agitated about still not being chosen. Although, Miya hadn't been chosen yet, either, so he was content.

Unfortunately, Sennosuke's plead went ignored. The confirmed five seated at the table were confined within a suffocating box of tensions unbearable to even those who paid attention to the situation panning out, which turned out to be most of the customers in Salon de Marie. A great majority of them had become emotionally invested and attached to the intense adventure the group was going through.

Ichigo took her time retracing her steps and sitting in her chair. Her thick bangs covered her hazy eyes, clouded with sorrow and confusion. She didn't understand why she was so emotional and distressed over such a petty thing. The girl next to her, Miya, also took her seat, keeping her dazzling eyes on Makoto. She had fully recovered.

"Amano?" Makoto forced out, ultimately breaking the thick, uncomfortable layer of silence and whispers that surrounded the table.

"What?" Ichigo replied monotonously, speaking in a surprisingly cold manner.

"You didn't complete the dare."

The whole room filled with gasps and the occasional cheering from observers who didn't understand the huge influence they had over everything that was happening. Makoto resisted the urge to yell, fists clenched as well as his teeth, full of anger. The unintentional audience was bringing immense stress to the blonde boy.

"Kashino, don't you think that's a bit-" Satuski began only to be excruciatingly interrupted.

"I'M BAAACK!" Johnny Mcbeal announced, slamming the door against the wall on impact. His hair stuck together in spiky clumps, dripping like a wet, heavy sponge.

"Where's Tennouji-san?" Sennosuke asked, genuinely curious.

"Ah, about that." Johnny rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, stepping to the side. Previously standing behind him, Mari stood shivering, drenched in rain water. Her golden hair which formerly cascaded beautifully along her back like smooth, milk chocolate being poured appeared to be dull, soggy, and frizzy. The facial expression she displayed wasn't an amused one.

"Where have you two been?" Satsuki asked, gently placing his chin on wrist. His eyes sparkled immensely.

"Satsuki, your flamboyancy is overwhelming." Lemon called out from the next table over, gaining a few laughs from the listeners. In response, he blew a kiss her way, receiving a blank stare from her side.

Mari attempted to contain her composure. She casually strut her way over to the back room to fix herself up. Johnny sighed, taking his seat at the table, joining the other five. "Don't ask." He spat out, resting his head into his arms.

Everybody was shocked what was just exhibited before them. Johnny was never the type to act depressive or down. He was the happiest and loudest person they knew. Half of the people in the shop didn't even know who he was, but it seemed out of his character to act that way.

Awkwardness developed once again, engulfing the entire Salon de Marie. Ichigo was upset, Makoto was unsatisfied, Satsuki wasn't receiving the attention he fueled on, Sennosuke was never going to be chosen, Johnny was disappointed due to unknown reasons despite looking like the happiest guy alive when he left, and Miya... well, Miya was pleased by being so close to Makoto without him having a menacing look on his face.

One of the customers stood up, beginning to grow impatient. She strolled over to the table that grabbed the main focus of the place and folded her arms. She sighed. "Gosh, you guys became so quiet! Do something interesting, please."

"Kato, I don't understand how it is any of your business to tell us TO DO SOMETHING INTERESTING!" Makoto yelled, built up irritations finally bursting through the tedious, tough wall that had grown too large.

"You know everyone is waiting for some drama, right?" Rumi replied, keeping a straight face.

"Well, you know what?" Makoto paused, standing up to face the customers. "GO HOME!"

"We can't!" Lemon shouted, fury written all over her face. She stormed over to the window, pulling the curtains open for evidence. With the curtains pulled open, she revealed dark, angry clouds blocking the clear sky and all remaining sunlight. The rain poured heavily, almost drowning the grass and composing immense amounts of thick mud.

Ichigo, Makoto, and Satsuki suddenly acknowledged the terrible weather, having no idea whatsoever that it had been occurring outside for nearly half an hour. Oops.

A bolt of lightning struck in the distance, ear-splitting claps of thunder following right behind. A few squeals and screams sounded throughout the shop, one leading right back to the heiress. Miya quickly inched herself in her seat over to Makoto, instantly shooting her arms around him.

"Oh, Ma•ko•to-kun! Thunder is frightening!" She frowned, nuzzling her face into his arm. Makoto gladly yanked his arm away, gaining it's freedom once more. He stood up, pushed her chair back to it's former place, and sat down.

Satuski arose daringly from his place and swaggered his way over to Lemon, running his hand through his hair, followed by an exhale of deep exasperation. "Lemon-chan, I-"

"Save it for your mirror." She countered, rolling her eyes as she covered the windows again and returned to her seat.

Satsuki remained bewildered, unable to comprehend her actions. People usually lost all feeling of their limbs and literally fell in love at first glimpse of his flawless looks and beauty, but Lemon was different. It annoyed him. He tried to take his mind off of the issue by joining his friends to continue their game. He preferred the unwanted attention they were receiving over Lemon's lack of attention.

More claps of thunder could be heard, gradually occurring more frequently. Not a single soul left or spoke. Every now and then somebody entered through the door, attempting to get away from the terrifying weather, although, many regretted it afterwards. The silence was bad enough for newcomers to believe someone had died, but majority thought that would be better.

Makoto, sick and tired of it all, got on his feet and began yelling once more. "What do you expect us to do?!"

"Finish your game." A bunch of students replied in unison.

He sat back down, staring nonchalantly at the girl across from him. Ichigo stared straight at him, sending his horrid look back. "Amano, it's your turn." He spat out.

The brunette stood, scanning the players. She was probably the most irritated person, but for a totally irrelevant reason than what the others believed. That's right. Salon de Marie had run out of ingredients and because of the poor weather, no one was able to run out and get more."Fine, Ando-"

"Amano, I love you."

Suddenly, the power blacked out, and so did she.

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**Heh heh, don't kill me, please. If you must, kill me in the reviews. **


	3. No

**I hope you guys aren't bothered by the wait! Chapter three has finally arrived! Enjoy! **

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A small, wax candle illuminated the shop with a tiny, red flame that was bursting with colour. "Sorry about the inconvenience, everyone. Until the storm is over I'm not permitted to allow any of you to return to your dorms as it is dangerous to go out in this weather. We are unaware of when the power will return." A student worker and holder of the candle reported, creating some uneasy tensions to flourish within a few customers. Several other workers walked around the store, setting down more candles on each and every table to brighten up the room a bit.

"Is the weather really that bad?" Lemon inquired, eyes dripping of anxiety as she clung to Rumi's arm.

"No, Lemon, the weather is perfectly fine. Why don't you step outside and ignore the fact that the power just went out from it?!" the Heiress yelled, sarcasm drowning out the confidence from her tone.

"You know that's not what I meant!" Lemon retorted, instantly flinching once another loud, abrupt bolt of lightning struck, omitting flashing lights from out the windows.

"Oh? What did you mean exactly?"

"Would you two quit it?!" Makoto shouted, furrowed eyebrows clearly expressing his anger. "Yamagashi, you need to understand that the weather is indeed horrible. Koshiro-senpai, stop being yourself and everyone will be happy!"

Both girls sunk back down into their seats, one being especially displeased with Makoto loudly expressing his thoughts. Although, she decided to take it in a way of criticism for improvement towards her personality, beginning to establish that he had hidden emotions fighting their way through.

"Has Amano-san woken up yet?" Sennosuke inquired, twiddling his thumbs on the table.

"Sadly, no." Rumi replied, chair next to Ichigo's with the unconscious one's head resting upon her shoulder. Lemon was sitting on her other side, still clinging. "She's been like this since the power went out. Poor Ichigo."

"Andou, why did you even confess to her?" Satsuki questioned, brushing his hair back with the tips of his fingers.

"I-It was a spur of the moment type of thing, I never imagined she would become so overwhelmed."

"It's your own fault for getting so excited over a game." Makoto scoffed from his spot, looking away from everyone.

"It could be your fault for never choosing me!"

"You always PICK TRUTH!"

"Are you two going to continue arguing or are the rest of us going to be forced to go back out into the rain?" Johnny sighed, pushing his chair so it would lean on it's back legs, nearing the floor at a dangerous level.

"What else do you expect us to do?" Makoto responded, corresponding with the other blonde's attitude and tone. "Should we start hugging instead? Would that satisfy you?"

"Well, since you took my turn, it would indeed."

"No." Makoto absolutely refused, offending Sennosuke exceedingly.

"Maa-chan don't say that-" Sennosuke began, only to be interrupted.

"How about YOU don't say THAT?"

"What?" Satsuki joined the conversation, suddenly asking for clarification from Makoto. "Don't say what exactly?"

"Maa-chan. It's not cute, so he should stop saying it."

"But-"

"No." Makoto interrupted him again, having no patience whatsoever from all the events that had occurred. He wasn't the type to have a high tolerance rate. In fact, he had the shortest temper -and height- in the entire shop. His height issue was probably one of the reasons he was so hot-headed because people would literally look down at him. Most would think he lacked confidence and hid it by getting so angry, but they would be wrong. Definitely.

He began to casually stomp around Salon de Marie, instantly singling out a random customer. "What about this girl? Why don't you give HER a nickname?" he yelled, pointing right at her face.

"I don't know her, Maa-chan." Sennosuke answered from their table, feeling slightly concerned for the student who seemed uncomfortable by Makoto's rude actions, but it wasn't his actions that she was displaying discomfort from.

The blonde tightened his lips together and returned to the main table, advancing towards Satsuki. The boy widened his eyes and stood to make a run for it, but Makoto firmly placed his hand on his shoulder and pushed him down ever so roughly. "What about Hanabusa, hm? You know him, don't you?"

"Yes, but he's not as close to me as you are." Sennosuke admitted, standing up. "Maa-chan, you're the only childhood friend and probably the best one I could ever ask for. Aren't I allowed to express that by a simple nickname?"

Makoto felt he was wrong for once. He was aware Sennosuke felt strongly about their relationship that was still growing stronger to that day, but he was oblivious that his nickname was sourced from such a sensitive topic. Sennosuke sighed, feeling a slight pang of regret. "If you're really against it, I guess I can stop using that nickname..."

"No," he murmured, keeping his eyes on the floor. "If you want, you can keep using the name Maa-chan..."

The two childhood friends looked at each other with a brief moment of silence before running into an embrace full of care, warmth, and nostalgia. Nobody quite understood their actions, and Satsuki felt left out, but overall, the dispute over the nickname was brought to a satisfying ending.

"Haha!" Johnny laughed, holding onto the straps attached to his suspenders. "Shorty, it's your turn!"

The embrace came to a bittersweet end as Makoto realised what had happened moments before. He had obeyed Johnny without acknowledging it.

"Wait, I never got to take my turn." Sennosuke reminded, taking his seat.

"Go ahead, the floor is yours," Makoto said with the corner of his lips turned upwards.

Sennosuke grinned, choosing the next victim of the dramatic game. "Hmm, I choose...Koshiro-sempai!"

Miya jolted awake from her name being called. She had fallen asleep from the game she thought was boring. "Ah! Someone had finally chosen the great empress, Koshiro Miya!" she yelled, getting up from her seat only to fall back down because her legs hadn't fully awaken.

"Ugh, Andou, choose someone else! How have you not already regret your decision?" Makoto whined, slamming his fists onto the table.

Satsuki, unable to remain silent, attempted to calm the raging blonde. "Kashino, you shouldn't speak cruelly. Your face becomes twisted when you do, so keep quiet and stay pretty."

"Wha-"

"Calm down, Maa-chan. I chose her because she hasn't been asked yet and I know how it feels. Give her a chance."

"Last time we gave her a chance, she destroyed our chances of fulfilling our dreams!" he hollered.

"Oh, Makoto-kun!" Miya screeched, clasping her hands together with a smile. "You're not worried of me ruining this game, are you?"

"Well, no because ruining this game isn't an issue anymore! It's already ruined!"

"Then there shouldn't be a problem with me participating, correct?"

Makoto froze up. He had been proven wrong _twice in one day. _He launched himself upwards, storming towards the door. He swung it open, allowing harsh winds and cold rain to enter the shop, blowing out several candles near the entrance. He impulsively stepped out the door, but then he remembered he's too smart to recklessly run outside.

"HEY!" Mutoh, Salon de Marie's manager, yelled as he burst through the kitchen doors. "CLOSE THE ENTRANCE IMMEDIATELY!"

Makoto reluctantly followed instructions, watching as some workers lit up the store once again with some matches.

Sennosuke took the attention off the unwanted commotion by continuing another. "Koshiro-sempai, truth or dare?"

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**I ended it at a bad spot. Oops. I couldn't really think of a good truth/dare for Miya, so I decided to give you guys the chance of choosing it! I want every review to have a suggestion! Remember, this could change the whole outcome of the story, so choose wisely! (╯ಠ◡ಠ )╯**

**Oh and, by the way I purposely ended the last chapter without specifying who confessed to Ichigo to confuse you! It was supposed to unknown until this update, so, now you know!**


	4. Arguments

**Chapter four has _finally _arrived~! Thanks for all of the reviews and suggestions. I really appreciate it. Enjoy!**

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"Truth or dare?" Miya repeated, tapping her chin. Her bouncy, red locks of hair never ceased their movements as she turned her head. "I think I'll choose dare."

"Here we go." Makoto groaned, putting his face into his hands. "Somebody kill me now."

"Oh, stop acting so childish, Kashino." Satsuki smiled, smoothing out the large white cloth spread out on the table.

"I'll stop acting childish when you stop acting flamboyant-"

"I dare you to make Maa-chan quiet down." Sennosuke said as he adjusted his glasses.

Miya grinned, standing up. She finally had a good reason to do something she's been waiting to do for quite sometime. She straightened out her school uniform and stood up, making her way over to Makoto. The subject of the dare summoned a grim expression to the evil girl's face. Her wide mouth and quick movements allowed him to guess her thoughts. He was fast and slick to intentionally fall out of his chair and crawl under the table.

"Hey, _darling!_" she whined. "Stop hiding and come out already!"

"I think you finished the dare." Johnny pointed out, noticing the silence under the table.

Unfortunately, Makoto didn't hear Johnny and began to yell, "I will not come out until you LEAVE!"

"I can't leave until you let me hug you!" She kneeled down to his level and stared at the ball he was curled up into. He wasn't hugging his knees only to fit under the table, but he also hoped he wouldn't be seen if he hid his face. Makoto lifted his head and peaked his eyes over his knees, noticing his cover was blown. The heiress was too close for him to escape. "Come on, Ma•ko•to•kun!"

The emphasis on each syllable of his name frightened Makoto as they rung through his ears. Her vile voice sent shivers down his spine. "Leave me alone!"

Miya grabbed his hand and pulled him out. He used all of his weight to keep himself down, but the Heiress immediately called her servants to aid her in dragging him out from under the table. Makoto tried to prevail and kept resisting as they got a grasp of his hands.

"Come on, Maa-chan. Give her a chance." Sennosuke said softly, observing from his seat.

"You're my friend!" Makoto yelled, sitting on the ground and kicking at one of the servants. "You're supposed to help me!"

Makoto pulled his hands free and rolled out from under the table. He glanced at his backstabbing friend, his piercing stare puncturing all of his hopes. Sennosuke wasn't going to help him. He was the reason the Heiress was chasing him. While he was distracted by the betrayal Sennosuke had displayed, Miya wrapped her arm around his waist and dipped him, giving him a deep, peck on the lips. Makoto was too shocked to struggle. He wasn't really kissing back, but Miya's passion and love made up for it. He thought she only wanted a hug.

Many people were unable to bear watching the situation unfold while others found it quite hilarious, such as Johnny and Satsuki. Some of the audience who specifically found it disgusting and unbelievable were Lemon and Rumi. One person in particular who couldn't stand watching was Ichigo. She had woken up a brief moment ago, confused by the kerfuffle Miya and Makoto were causing. Ichigo was horrified as Miya kissed him and no struggle appeared to be showing from his end whatsoever. What did she miss?

Unable to watch their everlasting kiss, Ichigo stood up, keeping her eyes on her feet as she ran out of the shop. It was still raining cats and dogs, but she didn't care. Ichigo didn't have a destination in mind. She didn't care where she went as long as it wasn't there. The sight of Makoto and Miya kissing each other broke her heart. She didn't find it disgusting, nor despicable that the couple was publicly displaying their love for each other in the middle of Salon de Marie. It was the fact that Makoto wasn't fighting back.

_He was letting it happen._

"Amano!" Makoto yelled, finally coming to his senses and pushing the Heiress away. "Amano, wait!" He sped towards the door, only to meet the floor. Someone had tripped him.

"Hold on, Makoto!" Johnny laughed, watching his victim scramble to his feet. "You can't chase her!"

Makoto sat on the ground, cross-legged, and rubbed his face until the redness from embarrassment, pain, and anger disappeared. "And why not?!"

Johnny shrugged, sitting back in his chair. "Well, I did my job. She's long gone by now. Even if you still choose to be stupid and chase after her, you will have no luck finding her, so be smart by obediently sitting back down in your seat."

"So you're saying it's better to just leave her out there?!"

"No, I'm saying she needs some space and you need to let her have it."

Sennosuke couldn't watch his friends fight, so he decided to interfere. "Calm down, guys. Arguing won't solve anything. Be mature."

"Excuse me?" Makoto stood up, an increasingly aggravated look appearing on his face. "Be mature? Coming from the person who dared someone to assault me?!"

"I never told her to assault you!" He defended, keeping his ground.

"You implied it!"

Miya's face expressed confusion as she listened to their heated conversation. "Hey, I'm right here! It definitely was not assault. I would never harm _my_ Makoto-kun!"

"By the looks of how this game is turning out, I might end up going out in the rain myself, despite the possibility of my looks being ruined." Satsuki said, quickly becoming annoyed of the situation. He was most likely bothered by the fact that the main focus in the room wasn't him.

"You'll always look sexy, Hanabusa-kun!" A random girl cheered from the back of the shop, resulting in a few nods in agreement from the people surrounding her.

"Give us a break, Hanabusa. It always has to be about you, doesn't it?" Makoto grumbled, heading towards the front door.

"At least I don't get into arguments with every person I speak with-" Makoto's hand reached for the door handle. "-and I especially don't make girls run away!"

He twisted his head sharply and looked at Satsuki from across the shop. "Listen." He snarled through gritted teeth. "I know what you're trying to do and let me just say- it isn't going to work."

Makoto swung the door open, grabbing an umbrella that clearly wasn't his from the vibrant pink that coloured its fabric, and headed out into the vast storm.

"What an idiot." Satsuki asserted, wanting to have the last word before the excruciating and greatly loathed silence filled the room once again, but unfortunately for him, he didn't get it.

"Sheesh, how did this game even start to begin with? Whoever started it is the idiot." Miya claimed, pulling out her cell phone to text some of her rich friends.

"Shouldn't you know? I mean, you _are _involved with the game, aren't you?" Lemon asked, staring over at Satsuki, who seemed to be twiddling his thumbs.

"Yeah, I am involved in the game and technically, so are you. Do you know who started this game?"

Johnny suddenly began to guffaw. "Now that I think about it, the story's actually kind of ironic considering how it's already turned out so far."

"Oh?" Miya hummed, keeping her eyes glued to the screen of her phone. "How's that?"

"Well..."

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**Well, this chapter had some excitement, right? I hope you will all stay tuned for the next chapter! **


	5. The Beginning

**Before you begin reading this chapter, I would just like to mention that recently I heard about Elise's passing, most of you know her as Misslovelyprincess. I share my sincere condolences with the people that were close with her. Rest in peace, Elise. **

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_Satsuki, Makoto, and Sennosuke, also known as the school's 'Sweet Princes', strolled into the kitchen mainly used for the educational purpose of baking. That was also their goal, but unfortunately for them, they weren't able to achieve it as quickly as they had hoped. The elementary baking teacher, Ameya, stood over by the chalkboard which usually held the daily lesson, placed in the centre over the room. Strangely, the lesson had not been written yet. It was around the time which she typically drew it, however she stood still, chalk in hand and a clipboard in another, staring at the board with a puzzled expression smeared on her face._

_"Good morning, Ameya-sensei." Satsuki greeted flirtatiously, passing through the door._

_"Hanabusa, there's no time for flirting with the teacher." Makoto scolded, coming in right behind Satsuki. Somebody had woken up on the wrong side of the bed._

_"Maa-chan, why are you always so mean in the morning?" Sennosuke asked as he closed the entrance door being the last one to enter. _

_"Don't call me Maa-chan." Makoto demanded with anger in his voice as he began to grab basic ingredients from the fridge._

_"It's not only in the morning." Satsuki muttered under his breath._

_"Where's Amano?" Makoto questioned, slamming a large bag of white flour onto the counter. "She's always late! We came early today to practice and she's late!"_

_The three charming boys worked away, creating the exact sweets their delicate minds desired. Not many could attain such results. Most people frequently received unsatisfying products, commonly not acquiring every last, intricate detail they hoped strongly for. However, these students easily reached these standards with every single assignment and project they tackled. Their strength as a team was hard to overpower. _

_The door slowly creaked open, chocolate eyes peering through the small space. Nobody noticed the slight disturbance because they were so absorbed with the incredible sweets they were producing. The brown eyes and the body that came with them gently pushed the door wide open and stealthily crept into the room, becoming afraid and alert when it accidentally closed the door too hard. The blonde prince instantly craned his neck to face the intruder, annoyed by finding what he despised most: Amano Ichigo._

_"You're extremely late!" Makoto shouted, whisking a bowl of white fluff effortlessly. "Because of you we're behind!"_

_Ichigo flinched as his rather loud response, approaching the table with caution. Satsuki smirked, handing her the necessary tools to start faster. "Tsk tsk. Kashino, you shouldn't blame others for your own problems."_

_Makoto clenched his teeth together, noticing his meringue had gone stiff. He inhaled sharply through his nose in an attempt to calm down. Failing miserably, he slammed the metal bowl onto the surface of the counter. He took off his hat and placed it next to the bowl, storming out of the room with a huff. He didn't miss his chance to give Ichigo a menacing glare on the way out._

_Satsuki sighed, setting his candy art down and picking up Makoto's task to examine it. "There he goes again, blaming others instead of himself." He grabbed a bowl of egg whites and added a small amount before he started to lightly whip the contents of the larger bowl. After a short moment, the meringue had returned to a good state. "He really has no patience."_

_"There's nothing we can do to change that, huh." Sennosuke chimed in, rinsing his hands off in the sink of the redness that stained his fingers from the strawberries. "His awful temper really worries me sometimes.__"_

_"That's just who he is." Ichigo said nonchalantly, gazing over at Ameya, who still seemed to be struggling with something. Ichigo quietly walked over to her, looking at the clipboard in her hand. "What are you doing, Ameya-sensei?"_

_"I'm having some difficulty planning today's lesson." Ameya admitted, scratching the side of her head a the end of a pencil._

_"Hmm? Do you need any help?"_

_"Ichigo-chan, we really need to finish this." Satsuki warned, adding some finishing touches to his candy sculpture._

_"No, I'm fine anyway. Thank you, Amano-san." Ameya smiled kindly, thinking hard about her alternative options._

_"I insist, Ameya-sensei! How can I help?"_

_Satsuki frowned, noticing how lightly Ichigo was taking things. He knew it was in her nature to stay positive and help whoever was in distress, however she never knew when to focus on her own problems. The smile that always stayed on her face naturally soothed anyone who looked at it. He could tell by the way their sensei, Ameya, seemed at ease once Ichigo offered to lend a hand. _

_"I am having some issues locating an ingredient for the originally planned lesson." she explained, reading over the notes on her clipboard feverishly. _

_"What ingredient is it?" Ichigo asked, peering over her shoulder for a closer look. "Whatever ingredient it is, I'm sure one of the high school division kitchens must have some!"_

_"It's not that simple, Amano-san. This ingredient isn't that easy to acquire-"_

_"What about Salon de Marie? They have a wide selection of rare ingredients!"_

_Ameya adjusted her glasses before replying, "That actually sounds like a decent idea. Could you go check and bring me some if they have any? We don't need a lot."_

_"Sure!" Ichigo piped, immediately heading for the door. She already forgot about studying with the Sweet Princes, but Makoto did, too. She raced outside of the school and went towards Salon de Marie. The only reason she knew they had the ingredient is because she eats there so often! Ichigo looked up at the sky as she slowed down her pace. There were dark clouds forming above the area their school was in, but the sun still shone bright and that was all that mattered. She grabbed the handle to the shop when she heard footsteps approaching her from behind._

_"Amano-san, wait!" Someone yelled, making her turn around to see who the voice belonged to. Sennosuke and Satuski were coming up behind her, bending over on their knees to catch their breaths. _

_"Hmm? Why did you guys follow me?" she questioned, letting go of the shop door and moving aside for someone who was trying to exit the building. "Weren't you guys working on finishing up the project?"_

_"We were-" Sennosuke began, pausing briefly to take a breath. "-but then half of our team ran off."_

_Ichigo started laughing nervously, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "We had our reasons!"_

_Her thoughtless words made her mind wonder. Where exactly did Makoto go?_

_The three students headed into the shop, steering towards the counter to ask for ingredients. The two boys didn't miss a single step as they walked, but Ichigo stopped in her tracks when she saw him. Makoto was sitting at a table in the centre of the room, eating a slice of lemon meringue pie._

_"Kashino?" she muttered reluctantly, gaining the attention of him unintentionally. _

_"Oh, it's you." Makoto frowned, setting down his fork and folding his arms. "If you came looking for me, turn back because I'm staying."_

_"Look who's getting cocky." She grinned smugly. "For you information, we came here to get something for Ameya-sensei!"_

_"Then explain why you're speaking to me."_

_Ichigo paused briefly, realising he did in fact have a good point. She didn't quite understand why she had even uttered his name._

_"Ichigo-chan, we got **the stuff.**" Satsuki whispered ominously into her ear from behind. _

_"Okay, let's head back!"_

_"Oh, Maa-chan is here?" Sennosuke acknowledged rhetorically, noticing the slice of pie in front of the blond. "We should hurry back before class starts."__  
_

_Makoto picked up his fork before responding and took his time finishing the last few bites of the delectable dessert in a manner which seemed like he was purposely trying to irritate his classmates. He grabbed a napkin and wiped his mouth and surrounding areas of anything that may have remained on his face. "I think we shouldn't go."_

_"Of course we should go!" Ichigo snapped, making a beeline for the door giving no care whatsoever if Makoto chose to follow or not. _

_"I dare you not to go."_

_Satsuki, whom was following the other two, turned his head to face the boy who stayed in his seat. "Ichigo-chan isn't that low, do you really expect her to follow along with your-"_

_To his dismay, Ichigo ran back to Makoto's side. His condescending smirk made her eye twitch in annoyance. She felt contempt towards his existence. "And what if I don't go?"_

_"That's for your conscience to decide."_

_Ichigo hastily pulled out a chair across from Makoto and got comfortable, knowing the feud that was beginning would not last a mere couple of minutes. "There, happy?"_

_"Amano-san," Sennosuke said, reluctantly taking a seat next to Makoto. "I think we should leave."_

_"You can leave, but I'm staying. Ameya-sensei needs the ingredients." _

_The aspiring chocolatier tapped his fingers along the edge of the table, thinking up ideas and spitting them out as they came. "No, I dared you __**all **to stay."_

_Satsuki knew fighting against Makoto would go nowhere since he had done it before, so he quickly sat in between Sennosuke and Ichigo. "Congratulations, you have achieved nothing."_

_And so, the infamous silence began. It was very quiet which many disliked. Most of the members of Team Ichigo would much rather return to their classroom as class was about to begin, but Makoto didn't want that. Nobody knew why, but they assumed they wouldn't get an answer if they tried to pry one from his mouth. Suddenly, the only American the four knew came through the doors. Johnny strolled in with what seemed to be no care in the world. Behind him was his older cousin, Miya. Upon noticing her, Makoto hid under the table._

_"Sheesh, you're supposed to let the ladies enter first, Johnny!" Miya snapped, leaving not a single soul unaware of her presence. "Oh, Amano-san?"_

_Ichigo, who was resting her head on the table from boredom, perked up after hearing her name. "Hm?"_

_Miya pulled her cousin over to the table and looked around. "Is Makoto-kun here, too?"_

_"Oh, Kashino? He's under the-" Ichigo left her sentence unfinished and yelped loudly. She lifted the table cloth and looked beneath the table to find the source of the sudden pain that made her leg ache. She found Makoto on his hands and knees, holding his index finger to his dry lips. He seemed afraid and desperate because of the Heiress. Ichigo stomped on his hand, crossing her legs. She didn't get the message until the blond pulled out a couple of twenty dollar bills from his wallet as if he was attempting to bribe her. It worked. She dropped the fabric within her hands and looked up. "I haven't seen him."_

_"HEY, MAKOTO!" Johnny greeted as loud as possible, crouched over with his head under the table. _

_"Makoto-kun?" Miya squealed, impulsively ripping the cloth from the wood furniture it lay on. "Why are you hiding when you could be out here with me?"_

_The targeted blond was distinctly trembling with fear, sweating more fluids than a wet mop being wrung. He would have stayed under the table forever; he wished to stay under the table forever and was reluctant to leave, but Johnny dragged him out against his will. The three people took their seats; the two cousins sandwiched Makoto in between. _

_"Why aren't you guys in class?" Ichigo inquired, reaching across the table to grab the money Makoto held tightly in his hands._

_"Do I ever go to class?" Johnny answered, watching Makoto snatch away his money and put it away. _

_"Johnny dragged me along, but I'm so glad he did!" The heiress hugged her love and rubbed the side of her face against his affectionately. He didn't waste a second to push her away and move closer to the American. _

_"And why are you here? Don't you usually go to class?" _

_Ichigo quickly explained the situation. _

_"So, we're playing truth or dare?" Johnny exclaimed. "Sweet, I'll start."_

_"What?" Makoto groaned frustratedly into his hands. "We're not playing truth or dare!"_

_"Don't be such a pain, Makoto. I know what you're trying to do, so don't exclude me!"_

_"I'm not excluding you, I'm just being honest."_

_Makoto rested his arms on the table and dropped his head into them, not wanting any involvement in the game he started. It was quite an annoyance for him to listen to the others play, but Ichigo's loud eating of practically every dessert in the shop almost tuned them out completely._

_"Kashino!" Ichigo yelled, food of many sorts still in her mouth as she spoke. Satsuki looked like he wanted to kill himself just from the sight of her mouth gaping open like the black hole it was. "Truth or dare?"_

_"I'm not playing," he mumbled, his face still in his arms. _

_"I dare you to play!"_

_"I didn't choose anything." Makoto replied, raising his head. "Why are you so eager to get me to play?"  
_

_"I want everyone to participate, that's why I chose for you." Ichigo answered, swallowing the contents of her mouth and wiping the area surrounding her lips with a napkin so Satsuki wouldn't jump off a cliff. "It's your turn, Kashino."_

_"Ichigo, truth or dare."_

_"Dare!" Ichigo piped, trying to compensate for his lack of care._

_"I dare you never to dare me again."_

_Ichigo shrivelled down in her seat. She wasn't willing to accept the dare, but she was aware she had to. The game continued on, gathering the attention of many as it progressed. The players became more courageous and daring the longer the game dragged on, leading to many issues in the future. The game definitely wasn't going to end on a positive note._

* * *

**_Yeah, I never really got to specify, but if anyone's confused, the seating arrangement is -in this order- Ichigo, Satsuki, Sennosuke, Miya, Makoto, and Johnny -with Ichigo next to him- and there's only six seats to a table (because I felt like having six to a table unless someone pulls up another seat)._**


End file.
